Collapsible road barricade

ABSTRACT

A road barricade includes legs and reflective panel support members hingedly connected together so as to be collapsible into a compact configuration when the barricade is not in use, or when knocked over, and adapted to lock a reflective panel in a generally vertical, depending position when the legs are unfolded to an in-use configuration.

United States Patent [191 Kanan 11]| 3,802,667 11 Apr. 9, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE ROAD BARRICADE [75] Inventor: Bernard D. Kanan, Kansas City,

Kans.

[73] Assignee: Contractors Traffic Protection C0., Kansas City, Mo.

[22] Filed: Jan. 11, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 295,499

[52] US. Cl. 256/64, 404/6 [51] Int. Cl E0lf 13/00 [58] Field of Search 404/6; 256/59, 65, 64;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,824,719 2/1958 Nutting 256/64 413,258 10/1889 Lightner 256/64 637,847

11/1899 Bishop 182/105 1,476,855 12/1923 Topp 182/181 X 1,880,909 10/1932 Dunlap 182/181 X 2,583,244 1/1952 Underwood 256/64 X 2,648,761 8/1953 Shamel 1 256/64 X 2,793,453 5/1957 Bixby 182/153 X 2,882,021 4/1959 Dreher 256/64 3,506,959 4/1970 Nunn 256/64 X 3,627,273 12/1971 Birner 256/64 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fishbum, Gold & Litman 57 ABSTRACT A road barricade includes legs and reflective panel support members hingedly connected together so as to be collapsible into a compact configuration when the barricade is not in use, or when knocked over, and adapted to lock :1 reflective panel in a generally vertical, depending position when the legs are unfolded to an in-use configuration.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE ROAD BARRICADE Foldable road barricades of several types are well known as devices to warn people of dangerous areas,

however, recently there has been a considerable amount of criticism by users and regulatory agencies relative to certain faults which have been noted in existing structures. For example, the reflective panels often are not positioned vertically, whereby they do not reflect maximum light back to the source; the support frames are sometimes locked into a rigid structure during use, whereby when the barricade is turned over, by wind, automobile contact, etc., the legs may dangerously project angularly from the ground in the manner of spears; the reflective panels often are mounted on the barricade in such a manner that when the road barricade is knocked over, the reflective panel is the part most subject to marring by ground contact, such marring reducing reflecting efficiency; the construction of the barricades is such that the folded device is awkward and/or bulky to store when not in use; and the barricades are unnecessarily expensive to build and maintain due to the use of a large number of complex parts.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a road barricade wherein all legs are interchangeable so as to decrease manufacturing and maintenance costs; to provide such a barricade having leg units which incorporate reflective panel support members in a manner whereby, the panel is locked in maximum reflective position in use; to provide such a barricade which easily collapses to a flat, compact, safe configuration when knocked over or collected for storage; to provide such a barricade wherein the reflective panel is relatively protected against marring; and to provide sucha barricade construction which is simple and inexpensive in construction and yet extremely well suited for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a road barricade, embodying this invention, in leg expanded position.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the barricade as viewed from the section line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the expanded barricade illustrating details of the hinged connection between the legs and panel support members.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a barricade collapsed for storage.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hinged connection of FIG. 3, but in folded condition.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 designates broadly a collapsible road barricade embodying this invention. The barricade 1 includes legs 2, reflective panel support members 3, a reflective panel 4 and brace members 5. The legs 2 are respectively comprised of structural angle, such as angle iron, having flanges 7 extending transversely to the panel 4, and flanges 8 extending at right angles to the flanges 7 and inwardly of the barricade. Each leg 2 has an upper end 9 and lower end 10 respectively formed by diagonal cuts primarily through the flange 7, the diagonal cuts being at opposed but equal angles relative to a corner edge 12. An aperture 13 extends through each flange 7 adjacent the upper and lower ends 9 and 10. Sets of apertures 14 for mountingthe brace members 5 are located in spacedapart relation centrally on. each flange 8. Thus, legs 2 are substantially identical and interchangeable in position on the barricade structure.

The panel support members 3, in this example, also are constructed of structural angle and have flanges l5 and 16 disposed generally at right angles to one another, the flanges 15 including a pointed end 18 defined by intersection upper edges 19 and 20, FIG. 3. The flange 15 also has an aperture 23 therethrough spaced downwardly from the pointed end 18.

In the structure illustrated, apertures 13 of two legs 2 are aligned with one another and with a support member aperture 23. A suitable fastening device 24, such as a hex head bolt and nut, extends through the aligned apertures, securing two legs 2 and a support member 3 into hinged relation with the flanges 8 and 16 extending generally transversely and inwardly of the barricade structure. The inside surfaces 26 of the leg flanges 8 contact the respective edges 19 and 20 of the support member flanges 15, thereby limiting the amount that the legs 2 can be rotated away from each other, the included angle of the pointed end 18 determing the maximum spacing between related leglower ends 10. The diagonal cut at the upper end 9 of each leg 2 allows the legs 2 to hinge to the maximum extended position without mutual interference while also providing a maximum of area contact between the surfaces 26 and respective surfaces 19 and 20 for structural strength of the hinge arrangement.

The reflective panel 4 is an elongate flat member that.

has warning indicia on both sides thereof. In the illustrated structure, the panel 4 is comprised of an elongate strip 28 of rigid material, opposite faces thereof having a reflective coating thereon, such as a suitable adhesive backed plastic sheet 29 designed to comply with local and/or federal regulations. In this example, the sheets 29 have alternating stripes 30 of highly contrasting colors that slope downwardly from right to left. The panel 4 is also provided with mounting means, such as apertures 31, suitable for mounting a blinker light 32 thereon.

- An assembly consisting of a pair of legs 2 and a panel support member 3 is. located in opposed spaced-apart relation to a similar assembly and the two are joined by the panel 4 and the brace members 5, by suitable fastening means such as rivets 33, to form the barricade structure.

It is apparent from the above described construction that the barricade is easily folded between a flat, legoverlapping, easily stored, compact arrangement, FIG. 4, to an expanded, stable, in-use configuration, FIG. 1, whereupon the panel 4 becomes locked in a vertical position for maximum reflectivity. If the barricade l is accidently knocked or blown over, the legs 2 will immediately assume a collapsed condition, thereby avoiding a dangerous upward projection of the free ends 10. Also, since the flanges 8 are positioned frontally of both faces of the panel 4, the flanges 8 will generally strike the ground first, helping to prevent marring of the reflective coating. The described construction has the further advantages of leg interchangeability and design simplicity for ease of manufacture and maintenance.

It is to be understood that while one form of this invention has been illustrated and described, it is not to be limited to the specific arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.

What is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsible road barricade construction comprisa. four elongate legs having upper and lower ends, hinge means connecting respective pairs of said legs together near said upper ends forming a pair of support units,

b. a pair of panel members respectively having an upper end, said panel member upper end having upper edge portions,

0. one of said panel members being hingedly connected near said panel member upper end to each of said support units by said hinge means, said upper edge portions being positioned to contact unit legs thereby limiting the pivotal freedom of said panel member,

d. said support units being positioned in spaced-apart relation, and a reflective panel secured to said panel members and extending between said support units.

2. A collapsible road barricade construction comprisa. four elongate angle legs having first and second flanges and upper and lower ends, hinge means hingedly connecting respective pairs of said legs together by said first leg flanges near said upper ends forming a support unit with said second leg flanges of each unit extending in the same direction from the first leg flanges,

b. a pair of panel members each comprising a length of angle having first and second flanges and an upper end, one of said flanges of each panel member having upper edge portions at said upper end extending at an angle to each other,

0. one of said panel members being hingedly connected near said panel member upper end by said hinge means to each of said units whereby said upper edge portions respectively contact said second leg flanges of each unit limiting the outward rotation of said legs while locking said panel member in an intermediate position with respect to said legs, the other of 'said panel member flanges extending in the direction of said second leg flanges,

d. said support units being spaced apart in opposed relation with said second leg flanges extending toward each other, and

e. a reflective panel secured at opposite ends to said panel members and extending between said units.

3. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

a. said reflective panel is secured at said opposite ends to the other of said panel member flanges. 4. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 including:

a. brace members extending between and secured to opposed legs of opposed support units. 5. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a. said brace members are secured to second leg flanges intermediate said leg upper and lower ends.

8. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2' wherein:

a. said upper edge portions at the upper end of said one panel member flange extend at an angle to each other selected to cause said panel member to substantially bisect the angle between the legs of a support unit upon maximum diversion of said support unit legs.

9. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

a. said first leg flanges overlap each other and said second leg flanges at least partially overlap said reflective panel.

10. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

a. said panel member upper edge portions define a V" shaped end and said second leg flanges are adapted to engage a substantial portion of said V shaped end upon maximum diversion of said legs. 

1. A collapsible road barricade construction comprising: a. four elongate legs having upper and lower ends, hinge means connecting respective pairs of said legs together near said upper ends forming a pair of support units, b. a pair of panel members respectively having an upper end, said panel member upper end having upper edge portions, c. one of said panel members being hingedly connected near said panel member upper end to each of said support units by said hinge means, said upper edge portions being positioned to contact unit legs thereby limiting the pivotal freedom of said panel member, d. said support units being positioned in spaced-apart relation, and a reflective panel secured to said panel members and extending between said support units.
 2. A collapsible road barricade construction comprising: a. four elongate angle legs having first and second flanges and upper and lower ends, hinge means hingedly connecting respective pairs of said legs together by said first leg flanges near said upper ends forming a support unit with said second leg flanges of each unit extending in the same direction from the first leg flanges, b. a pair of panel members each comprising a length of angle having first and second flanges and an upper end, one of said flanges of each panel member having upper edge portions at said upper end extending at an angle to each other, c. one of said panel members being hingedly connected near said panel member upper end by said hinge means to each of said units whereby said upper edge portions respectively contact said second leg flanges of each unit limiting the outward rotation of said legs while locking said panel member in an intermediate position with respect to said legs, the other of said panel member flanges extending in the direction of said second leg flanges, d. said support units being spaced apart in opposed relation with said second leg flanges extending toward each other, and e. a reflective panel secured at opposite ends to said panel members and extending between said units.
 3. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said reflective panel is secured at said opposite ends to the other of said panel member flanges.
 4. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 including: a. brace members extending between and secured to opposed legs of opposed support units.
 5. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein: a. said brace members are secured to second leg flanges intermediate said leg upper and lower ends.
 6. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said leg upper and lower ends are substantially identical in configuration whereupon said legs are interchangeable in position on said barricade construction.
 7. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said hinge means comprises bolts extending through said first leg flanges and said panel member flanges.
 8. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said upper edge portions at the upper end of said one panel member flange extend at an angle to each other selected to cause said panel member to substantially bisect the angle between the legs of a support unit upon maximum diversion of said support unit legs.
 9. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said first leg flanges overlap each other and said second leg flanges at least partially overlap said reflective panel.
 10. The barricade construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said panel member upper edge portions define a ''''V'''' shaped end and said second leg flanges are adapted to engage a substantial portion of said ''''V'''' shaped end upon maximum diversion of said legs. 